Brentford climbed to third in the Premier League with a victory over Chelsea that extended the visitors’ winless league run to three matches. The source material gives conflicting scorelines for the match — one summary describes it as 2-0, while the detailed report says 3-0 — but the detailed report names Jaidon Anthony, Igor Thiago and substitute Fabio Carvalho as the goalscorers. Regardless of the exact margin, it was an impressive result for the hosts.
Igor Thiago was the headline act. The Brazil international had been on a four-game goalless run before kick-off and worked hard but struggled in front of goal. He eventually delivered with a late strike to seal victory, and his celebration looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, along with his Brentford shirt. He was rated 7. Jaidon Anthony, also 7, had a quiet first half and missed Brentford’s best chance early in the second half, but responded well to score the opener. Fabio Carvalho, on as a late substitute for Mikkel Damsgaard, ghosted in nicely to add a goal in a very short spell on the pitch and also received a 7.
Brentford’s defensive and midfield ratings reflected a solid team performance. Jannik Schuster, a young defender, excelled in his own box but looked nervous in possession at times, including an overhit backpass that could have led to an own goal; he then set up the winner and was rated 7. Kristoffer Ajer was a sizeable presence at the back despite significant pressure from crosses in open play and from set-pieces, earning a 7. Yehor Yarmoliuk marked his 100th appearance with a powerful long-range effort in the 37th minute and created Brentford’s best chance shortly after half-time; he was rated 7. Vitaly Janelt did just enough to halt a Cole Palmer dribble early on, although he risked conceding a penalty, and provided a physical presence in midfield. A potential Germany debut is on the horizon under new manager Jurgen Klopp. Janelt was rated 7. Kevin Schade, also 7, produced several pressure-relieving dribbles and played a part in the final two goals.
Others in the Brentford side earned 6s. Caoimhin Kelleher produced an accomplished display without being required to make any outstanding saves. Michael Kayode played a couple of sloppy passes and rarely ventured forward. Keane Lewis-Potter’s poor clearance led to a Neto chance in the 10th minute, but he was impressive on the counter-attack, perhaps owing something to his experience of learning the left-back role after previously playing as an attacker. Mikkel Damsgaard was not at his usual level from set-pieces or with his shooting from distance until he delivered an incredible whipped corner that led to the opening goal. Among the substitutes, Mamadou Sangare did his combative duties well and was rated 7, while Aaron Hickey was a steady presence and received a 6. El Hadji Malick Diouf and Dango Ouattara came on late and were not rated.
Chelsea’s ratings painted a picture of a team short of a decisive edge. Cole Palmer was undoubtedly their best player on the night, with much of their attacking play going through him, but he was unable to produce the decisive moment he craved. A free-kick was comfortably saved and he had few other clear opportunities, though he worked hard defensively. He was rated 7. Jordan Henderson showed no signs of rust. After receiving some early boos, he settled into the game and looked a vocal leader on the pitch, also putting some good corners into the box. He earned a 7. Pep Chavarria produced some dangerous crosses and was tidy in possession, a largely positive display despite one piece of naive defending in the first half that led to a free-kick. He was also rated 7.
At the back, Maxence Lacroix coped well with Igor Thiago for most of the match, winning the majority of his duels, but he gave the ball away for Brentford’s second goal and missed a clear chance in the dying moments. He received a 4, the lowest rating of the night. Wesley Fofana was a physical presence and dealt well enough with Brentford’s long balls before being taken off for Josh Acheampong in the 72nd minute; he was rated 6. Levi Colwill had a quiet match by his high standards after being left out of the England squad, also earning a 6. Emiliano Martinez did not face any clear chances or difficult set-pieces in the first half and could do little about Brentford’s opener, receiving a 6. Valentin Barco, on his first Premier League start, impressed defensively and was more ambitious with his passing than Henderson, earning a 6. Pedro Neto had a well-struck effort saved in the 10th minute and was lively throughout, linking up well in attack and stretching Brentford with his pace; he was rated 6.
Further forward, Danny Welbeck made his first Premier League start for Chelsea. The 35-year-old created a chance for Neto but did not do enough to compensate for the absence of injured striker Joao Pedro, and his 72nd-minute withdrawal said a lot. He was rated 5. Morgan Rogers, the club-record £117m signing, had a dangerous effort blocked in the penalty area just before half-time and could also have done more to win the header at the back post for Brentford’s opener. He ended the match playing up front as a striker and was rated 5. Among the substitutes, Josh Acheampong came on in the 72nd minute but it was unclear why he was introduced when he was, and the young defender did not make much impact in the circumstances; he was rated 6. Geovany Quenda, also on 72 minutes, impressively got on the ball often and tried to make something happen for Chelsea but without any results, earning a 6. Estevao Willian and Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli came on in the 87th minute and were not rated.